Phantom
Phantom is a half-demon, and a naturalized citizen of the independent province of Vorare. He later acts as seneschal to the Voratian ambassador to Paraphilia. History An Unwanted Child In a place where sex is a pastime and consent is unheard of, unwanted children are unfortunately common. Phantom is unique from these only in that his absentee parent was not a monster, but a demon. His mother was the preferred victim of a scavenger with a taste for fear. Terrified almost to the point of madness, Bella Chandler escaped captivity and went into hiding, unaware that she was pregnant. She later gave birth to her aggressor's child--a cambion, visibly human in all respects, save for its color, and an aura of spectral flame. Believing the burning infant to be a hallucination at first, she addressed it first as her "petit fantôme"--little phantom. The name stayed. Having grown up in the shadow of his creator's crime, Phantom spent his childhood struggling to hide his "otherness." He suppressed his demonic nature, disguising himself via glamour to appear more human, for fear of his true appearance harrowing his fragile mother. All the while, he unwillingly fed from her sadness and fear, reminded with every taste that he was the cause. No reassurance from her could banish the knowledge that his existence was owed to her suffering. The Power of Fear Years of denial and suppression caught up to him all at once. A confrontation with other Obscenian residents resulted in the overwhelmed and untrained Phantom involuntarily taking full demonic form to defend himself and his mother. The sight was enough to scare them off, but at a dire cost: seeing the perfect image of her abuser, Bella flew into a panic. Phantom recovered quickly, but the damage was done. Her mind fractured, Bella died soon after, her last words a broken murmur of how much he resembled his father. Those words would haunt him the rest of his life. Now orphaned, a miserable Phantom locked his power inside, subconsciously blocking the emotions of those around him, and waited to die. It was a vain hope; her fear from the split-second lapse was so great that it sustained him for years. By the time he had run through the latent store of power, he had mastered suppressing everything about himself. His power, his true appearance, even his own emotions were sealed behind a wall, leaving little more than a quiet, uncanny teenage boy looming wraith-like through the populace. Even then, his nature made itself known, unconsciously inflicting his feelings of sorrow and grief on those he encountered, even as he starved. Shunned at every turn, he made his way to Vorare, resigned in the knowledge that no normal person would be safe in his presence. It was there, among others of his kind, that he began to take control of his life. A Matter of Control At the suggestion of Jekyll, a fellow halfling, Phantom sought out Lady Mab, a powerful siphoner demoness. Her opinion was blunt: his restraint and denial had done nothing but bolster powers he had no control over, and his fear of hurting others only magnified them. If he wanted to live anywhere but in a cave, he would have to learn to control his nature, and to accept reality. He needed the emotions of people to survive. That he was born addicted to suffering was just one more thing for him to overcome. It was under her advice that he began to research his own kind, studying the effects of his presence on others and how to better counteract them. What he learned did little to endear him to his father's legacy, but the act of research gave him a focus for the first time in his life, and the knowing gave him peace. He would never relish in being a scavenger, but it could be controlled. With his center found, he was able to limit the aura of his pain, allowing him to better interact with others. Slowly, he found a way to exist that did not hurt him, or everyone else. As he approached the age of demonic majority, his master posed a final test: interaction with the vulnerable. At the behest of Jekyll, Vorare had negotiated for a handful of cambions to be admitted to Paraphilian schools, to represent their country to the masses. Posing as teenage students, the chosen would be expected to interact with the other students in a normal fashion, without revealing their demonic roots. Phantom was leery of the plan immediately. It seemed too simple to him, and too dangerous. Still, he was encouraged to participate, by both Mab and Jekyll, if only to master his powers. It was his chance to pretend at the normalcy he had never had. Reluctantly, he took it. Personality Due to a life spent in shame and sadness, Phantom is a quiet type, reluctant to speak and less so to initiate a conversation. He prefers to hang in the background, observing the people around him without disturbing them. This combined with his tall, looming stature and eerie stare can give people the wrong impression. His ability to identify emotions allows him to take the hint when his staring gets too out of hand, removing himself from the situation before it can escalate. It's unclear whether this makes him a pacifist or a coward. Either way, he cares little for what others perceive of him. After all this time, he simply wants to be left alone. Phantom has a fondness for music, which so easily expresses and intensifies the emotions he can so easily sense. When he doesn't understand something, rather than ask, he settles to look it up, preferring to find answers for himself. He is standoffish and uncertain by nature, disliking contact and closeness, and prefers to keep his distance even when having a conversation. One Wish Now under the name Eric, Phantom appears in the background of the school chapters, observing from a distance as the others navigate their day to day. A senior student, preparing to graduate, he is cautious of getting close to anyone, whether physically or emotionally. Most of his classmates assume he is arrogant or spoiled for his aloofness, but his removal is largely for their safety. The only person he interacts with regularly is Jack, albeit with great reluctance. Vischias takes note of him the first day, if only because he is so visible to him in the crowd. Their interactions remain to be seen. Relationships Jekyll "Jack" and "Eric" have next to no discernible relationship, save for the former's insistence on bothering the latter. In truth, Jekyll is the closest to a friend that Phantom has, antagonistic as he may be about it. Jekyll is the reason Phantom sought help in Vorare, and he knows this. It's part of the reason he puts up with Jack's pestering. His blatant (if denied) humanity endears him to Jack, leading him to appoint him seneschal of his house when he takes power. Carmilla Carmilla is a mystery to Phantom: a halfling, like himself, who is both deeply flawed and willfully ignorant of the fact. Her lack of self-awareness and refusal to be brought down fascinates him, from a scientific standpoint. He suspects that her confidence is a cover for deeper insecurities, a suspicion that leads him to be kind to her. Or, as kind as he can manage. With her being the only other half-demon he knows, he ends up marrying her, though for entirely pragmatic reasons. They are friends at best, by the end. At worst, they are strangers putting up each each other. Lady Mab The witch-demon of the forest is a well-known figure in eastern Obscenity, and greatly feared for the fact. That Phantom is so comfortable with fear made her an easy choice as a master. Mab teaches him to control his powers, and in return, he serves as a reminder to her that not all halfling children are as lucky as hers. He views her as a teacher and in a way, a strict mother, abiding by her will and heeding her counsel whenever it is offered. When he married Carmilla, Mab killed his creator as a wedding gift. The loyalty he feels towards her is absolute. A. Vischias Sei'Dist Phantom recognizes Vischias on sight, and feels drawn to him, as a child to their parent. That he is older than Vischias by decades makes little difference; a part of him knows that the boy is important, though he is uncertain why. He is wary of the harm he could cause him, but remains well within reach when he sees him, in the event that the headstrong teenager might need help. It is a sentiment Jack shares. Trivia * Phantom is a direct port of the Chandelure of the same name owned by Creepykid V in the fractured multiverse. As a result, he feels drawn to Vischias, but he keeps his distance. In this form, he is equal parts his original form and the person who inspired him: Whiltheld Sei'Dist. * Phantom's names come from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, both as a nod to his original form and the damaged state of his face. His chosen first name, Eric, is the same as the titular Phantom. * The surname Devoire is translates directly as 'of the eaten'. It is commonly used by the cambions of Vorare, in reference to their violent methods of creation. * Though presenting as male, Phantom does not identify as any particular gender. * Phantom's left eye was injured in an unknown conflict. The result is a crack in his glass-like skin, the eye left dim like a burned-out light. He is largely blind on that side, and resorts to concealing the damage behind tinted glasses. * Phantom does not use his mother's surname. However, his son Drake does. * More than anything, Phantom detests his demonic nature. He feeds only through ambient energy, refusing to target people. He is utterly unwilling to take full demon form. Being forced to do so results in deadly consequences. Category:Kingdom of Paraphilia Category:KoY Characters Category:KoY Minor Characters Category:Demons Category:Voratians